1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological information measurement device and a method of measuring biological information, and more particularly to a biological information measurement device and a method of measuring biological information suitable for regular measurement of biological information.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a body composition monitor utilizing impedance, for daily management of body composition, it is necessary to conduct measurement in approximately the same time zone every day in order to eliminate influence of circadian rhythm due to an amount of movement of total body water.
In addition, it is indispensable to conduct measurement every day in order to obtain accurate trend information of the body composition. A user whose daily body composition value hardly varies, however, loses motivation to measure body composition and less frequently conducts measurement. Namely, it has been difficult to continue management of body composition.
The following are examples of a conventional biological information measurement device including a body composition monitor. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 05-207981 (Paragraphs 0009 and 0052) describes a portable automatic blood pressure monitor including measurement time setting means for setting in advance a next measurement time for a subject in association with an identification number of the subject, in which an alarm is issued and the identification number of the subject is displayed when the time set by the measurement time setting means has come. Forgetting of measurement of blood pressure can thus be avoided and such burden as remembering the time to measure blood pressure can be mitigated.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-073763 (Paragraph 0009) describes a portable telephone containing a biological sensor, that includes measurement time notification means for notifying a user of the measurement time set in advance, by means of at least one of sound, voice, and vibration. It is thus ensured that the user can know that the measurement time has come, so that data necessary from a medical point of view, i.e., blood glucose level, can be measured at appropriate time and it is expected that forgetting of measurement as in a conventional example is unlikely.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-026210 (Paragraphs 0025 and 0079) describes a portable healthcare device with an alarm function for notification of time of measurement of blood pressure and body fat. Thus, this device allows measurement at a predetermined time every day, without forgetting.
According to the devices described in the publications above, though the user is urged to conduct measurement by warning or alarm, the warning or alarm is merely issued when the time of measurement comes, regardless of whether measurement is actually conducted or not. Namely, as there is no change whether measurement is actually conducted or not, it has been difficult to have the user keep motivation.